Twitch announces ad-free streaming for Amazon Prime members
Today at Twitch Con 2016 in San Diego, Amazon and the world’s biggest livestreaming platform announced a new perk of their deepening relationship. It’s called Twitch Prime and starting today Amazon Prime members get ad-free viewing on Twitch, plus exclusive deals on new releases and “free loot” like skins, characters, boosts and even free games.
In addition to monthly perks, Twitch Prime members get one free subscription per month they can use on their favorite streamer. As Twitch CEO Emmet Shear said during today’s keynote, streamers still get paid for these subscriptions, so Twitch Prime is “literally giving your favorite streamer free money.”
Introducing Twitch Prime! Free game loot, free channel sub every 30 days, the best of Turbo and the best of Amazon Prime, and more! pic.twitter.com/Mequi11BZQ
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 30, 2016
From Amazon’s point of view, this is an easy way to grab up some new Prime members from the massive Twitch audience. On the Twitch side, users can still keep their current Turbo ad-free memberships at the $8.99 price point if they prefer, but they won’t get all the additional benefits or early bird access that come with the Prime membership. New users can snatch up a free 30-day trial now. After that, Amazon Prime costs $10.99 per month or $99 annually. If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, all you need to do is link your Twitch and Amazon accounts at twitchprime.com
To celebrate the launch, Twitch and Amazon will also be donating $100,000 to GameChanger charity for every 100,000 new subscriptions to any channel on Twitch — regardless of whether you’re using your free sub or a paid one.
Twitch Prime is live now in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Source: Twitch Blog
Twitch rolls out video uploads, clip editing on iOS and Android
While Amazon-linked Prime features are the big news out of TwitchCon, the livestreaming service is bringing some long-promised new features to users. Starting today, users can upload videos directly to Twitch. That means streamers can apply their video editing and production skills to archived clips for their audiences, without having to take them somewhere else, like YouTube Gaming. The feature was announced at TwitchCon last year, but at least it’s here now in beta form.
Upload videos directly to Twitch! Available RIGHT NOW as an open beta #TwitchCon
Read Now: https://t.co/CUKP2gHyjE pic.twitter.com/UR6sD4MueP
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 30, 2016
Uploaded videos will stick around “indefinitely” instead of expiring, and will notify followers just like new broadcasts. While streamers will surely appreciate that, on the viewing end we’re also looking forward to its HTML5 player being available to everyone. Another new tweak is the ability for viewers to easily create video highlight clips from within the Twitch iOS or Android mobile app. Check below for a full list of things announced during today’s keynote speech.
Create, view and share clips right in the Twitch app. Available on both iOS and Android right now! #TwitchCon pic.twitter.com/EfxtVdYQKQ
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 30, 2016
Twitch Keynote Announcements:
- Uploads: Any user can upload videos to Twitch for anyone to watch. Streamers may also download past streams and use the footage to create and upload on demand videos for their viewers to watch whenever they want.
- Clips on mobile: Viewers on iOS and Android can create and share clips from live streams and videos directly within the Twitch app.
- Transcodes: Video quality options will begin rolling out to even more streamers so viewers with all levels of Internet speeds can view streams seamlessly. Video quality options will be automatically applied based on a channel’s expected viewership.
- Curse Voice and Twitch integration: Users of Curse Voice and Twitch may link their accounts to access all global and non-global emotes from Twitch on Curse Voice. As an added bonus, Curse Voice users will also get a Twitch-themed color customization option on the client.
- HTML5: HTML5 is now available to ALL Twitch users.
Coming in October 2016:
- Clip trimming: Allows viewers to more accurately capture the perfect moment by adjusting the start and end time of their clip.
- Loyalty subscription badges: Viewers can soon show the extent of their loyalty to a Partner and Partners will be able to reward subscribers accordingly with custom chat badges based on length of a subscription. Badge tiers for one, three, six, 12, and 24 month subscriptions will be available to Partners for design.
Source: Twitch Blog (1)
Amazon’s next game will have a Twitch-centric wager system
Ever since Amazon bought livestreaming website Twitch, the retailer has slowly but surely begun building video tools into its offerings. It’s new free game engine, Lumberyard, already lets developers quickly incorporate and scale community features from the outset, but Amazon has a lot more planned than that. At this years TwitchCon event, Amazon Game Studios confirmed that Breakaway, its new free-to-play multiplayer game made by Killer Instinct developer Double Helix, a company it acquired more than two years ago, will offer a new form of in-game Twitch currency and incorporate numerous Twitch features specifically aimed at building the video service’s reputation as the home of live eSports.
The new digital currency is called Stream+ and allows Twitch viewers to earn “loyalty points” as they watch live games unfold and use them to bet on the outcome of key moments. The longer they watch, the more they accumulate, but additional points can be earned by participating in public polls. Twitch is staying clear of real-money gambling on its service and instead showers fans with in-game rewards as they move their way up the loyalty point leaderboard.
Breakway will incorporate all of these new Twitch features, which include Metastream, a platform that provides players and viewers with access to a real-time stats that can be incorporated into streams; Broadcaster Spotlight, a notification system that tells players if their teammates or opponents are livestreaming the match they’re playing in; and Broadcaster Match Builder, a matchmaking feature that lets streamers build custom matches and invite their subscribers, followers and viewers to play against/with them.
Amazon Game Studios says that it is working on two other games that have been “built for Twitch broadcasters, viewers, and players.” New World is a MMO that lets you “carve your own destiny with other players in a living, hostile, cursed land” and Crucible is a six-on-six “battle to the last survivor on a hostile alien world. Players choose and customize heroes, making alliances and betraying allies on their path to victory.”
Via: Geekwire
Source: Amazon Game Studios
How these companies would benefit from owning Twitter (or not)
Twitter has been struggling lately. It’s been battling flat user growth, declining profits, an executive exodus and generally bad PR — especially around its handling of abuse. Many have speculated for months that Twitter should just sell itself. And, if the rumor mill is to be believed, the company is indeed looking for ways to make that happen. According to reports from CNBC, TechCrunch and Bloomberg, the social media giant is in the crosshairs of at least five suitors: Google, Salesforce, Microsoft, Verizon and Disney. Here’s a look at all five — plus one we came up with ourselves — to see what a Twitter acquisition could do for them.
Image credit: Morris MacMatzen / Reuters
Even though Google is a titan in many fields — search, mobile and maps, among others — it hasn’t done so well in social. Its first attempt was Orkut, which faded into obscurity despite some isolated popularity in Brazil. There was Wave, a real-time messaging platform that was so confusing the project flatlined almost as soon as it launched. There’s also Buzz, a now-discontinued social network which integrated directly with Gmail — a move that unfortunately resulted in users being able to see their friends’ and families’ email contacts.
And, of course, there’s Google+, the company’s most notable attempt yet at a becoming a social network. But even that has proved something of a disappointment. It doesn’t help that tactics like forcing everyone to use it for other Google services have been alienating for some. Today, many of its features feel more disconnected than they used to. Google Plus is now a place for discussion groups than a traditional social network.
Basically, then, for Google to acquire Twitter, which already has over 313 million users, would be an instant boon. It would give the search giant the social cred it’s been chasing for so many years. Plus, Google has a little something called YouTube to help Twitter with its video streaming ambitions.
SalesForce
Image credit: Robert Galbraith / Reuters
Out of all the companies whose names have been floated as possible suitors, the unlikeliest is probably SalesForce. Known mostly for customer-relations management software, it’s decidedly enterprise-focused. At first blush, its interest in Twitter seems odd.
Yet it might not be. SalesForce already tried and failed to buy LinkedIn (Microsoft was the winner in that particular contest), so it would seem the company has long wanted to cash in on social. Plus, one of the features of its software is a plug-in that tracks mentions of brands on social media. SalesForce could leverage Twitter’s role as a customer communications tool to boost its own sales-and-marketing arsenal.
Microsoft
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Microsoft has never done particularly well at social. In 2011 it launched So.cl, a “search-based social network” that lets you share search results with friends, but it’s been unpopular, to say the least. Aside from that, most of the company’s investment in this space has been through acquisitions. A few years ago, it bought Yammer (a sort of Twitter for business), and it picked up LinkedIn earlier this year. Microsoft also tried and failed to buy Facebook back when it was a startup, but that obviously didn’t go as planned.
Acquiring Twitter would be the easiest and fastest way to make headway in social, but for Microsoft the deal would mean more than that. Despite a string of well-reviewed products like the Surface Book that have helped get consumers excited about Microsoft, the company may still seem stodgy to some, especially compared with younger rivals like Google and Facebook. Though Twitter itself is now a large, publicly traded company that doesn’t necessarily know what it’s doing, its user base is at least younger and more media savvy than Microsoft’s. That might be just what Satya Nadella and co. are looking for.
Verizon
Mike Blake / Reuters
If you think Verizon is just a plain old wireless carrier, you have it wrong. The company has had its sights set on the media space for a while now. Last year it bought AOL (Engadget’s parent company), and a few months ago it announced its intention to buy Yahoo. (The purchase isn’t set to close until 2017.) Both deals were made in the name of increasing Verizon’s advertising portfolio.
And, seeing as Twitter is a pretty big media company in its own right — it’s often the place to go for breaking news, and the company has recently made a push around livestreaming — it could fit right into Verizon’s video ambitions. Plus, let’s not forget that Twitter is yet another source for advertising revenue. With all of these companies under one umbrella, Verizon might have enough ammo to compete against the likes of Google and Facebook.
Disney
Jacky Naegelen / Reuters
Another strange potential bedfellow in this Twitter acquisition rumorfest is Disney. To be fair, CEO Jack Dorsey is on Disney’s board, so they’re already friendly enough that getting early-stage discussions off the ground may have been easier than it would have otherwise. Also, Disney owns several media entities like ABC and ESPN, so having Twitter would be great as an in-house marketing tool.
The issue here is that Twitter is also used by its rivals — you know, Fox, CNN, Comcast, and every other brand on earth — and those companies might not feel so great having their engagement analytics in the hands of the competition. Twitter’s poor history of handling abuse complaints might not sit well with Disney’s squeaky-clean image either.
Fantasy pick: Amazon
Kim Kyung Hoon / Reuters
While Amazon wasn’t named as a potential buyer, a Twitter acquisition would make some sense for the Seattle-based company. Sure, it’s largely known as an e-tailer, but Amazon has shown it isn’t afraid to experiment. It’s dabbled in hardware — the Kindle and Echo come to mind — and it’s making a strong play in video streaming too. And that video isn’t limited to just Prime subscribers: Amazon is also dabbling in live video after acquiring Twitch two years ago. Buying Twitter would provide yet another live vertical for Amazon and, of course, access to one of the world’s largest social networks. It might seem odd, but Amazon isn’t a normal company. And lest you forget, CEO Jeff Bezos already owns the Washington Post, indicating he might well have media mogul aspirations.
Anyone’s guess
Regardless of who ends up owning Twitter, it seems clear that somebody will eventually need to buy it, if only to keep it alive. On Monday, Twitter was the place on the internet to congregate during the US presidential debate. It was a firestorm of heated commentary — lively, interactive and emotional. It is this quality that has made Twitter such an effective launchpad for political movements like the Arab Spring. The company might have problems making money and gaining users, but its value to modern society is clear. Let’s hope somebody can keep it going.
Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick comes with an Alexa remote for $40
Amazon’s next take on the Fire TV Stick looks pretty much the same as before, but it brings along some useful upgrades to keep it current. The biggest difference? It now includes an Alexa-enabled remote at the same $40 price. It also packs in a faster quad-core processor (compared to a dual-core chip before) which Amazon claims is 30 percent faster than its predecessor, as well as speedier 802.11ac WiFi. Mostly, it seems like Amazon is trying to keep the Fire TV Stick more competitive with Roku’s excellent $50 streaming stick.
Unfortunately, there’s still no 4K support on this stick — if you want that, you’ll have to shell out for Amazon’s $100 Fire TV. I’d also expect that device to get a refresh soon to support HDR, just like Roku’s newest lineup. The Alexa remote appears to work just like before, allowing you to search for content, launch apps and ask for things like the weather.
You can preorder the new Fire TV Stick today, and Amazon says it’ll start shipping on October 20th. The company is also offering early customers $65 worth of free content from the likes of Hulu, Sling TV and Amazon Video.
Source: Amazon
Amazon resurrects ‘The Tick,’ greenlights two more shows
It’s the time of year when Amazon’s video division announces what new shows will make the cut and get a full series order. Today, we learned with great joy that The Tick is among Amazon’s new shows, alongside I Love Dick and Jean-Claude Van Johnson. As in typical Amazon fashion, pilots for the shows were shown off in advance and fans could vote on the ones that would become full-fledged shows (they could even view a few pilots on Twitch this year). Now that the roster has been finalized, the shows are set to debut in 2017.
In case you’ve somehow never heard of it before, The Tick is a superhero spoof that’s shown up in many forms over the last 30 years. The most recent live adaptation was a short-lived 2001 series on Fox. I Love Dick is based on a “renowned feminist novel” by Chris Kraus; the pilot starred Transparent’s Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne (Dallas Buyers Club) and Kevin Bacon. Lastly, Jean-Claude Van Johnson stars… well, Jean-Claude Van Damme playing a parody version of himself that’s one part action movie actor and one part undercover private contractor.
If you want to sample the shows, you can still do so here. Resident media addict Devindra Hardawar vouched for all three pilots, saying they were all worth watching — so if the shows end up being lousy, you know who to talk to.
Source: Amazon
Amazon partners are reportedly exploring in-home deliveries
With Amazon steadily speeding up its shipping options — there’s free same-day shipping in plenty of cities for Prime customers, for example — it was only a matter of time until it started looking into other ways to complete orders. According to The Information, the smart lock company August and the connected garage door firm Garageio, both of which have ties to Amazon, are reportedly looking into ways to let delivery people leave packages in your home when you’re not around. And while it sounds creepy at first, it could be useful for plenty of Amazon customers who can’t receive packages at work, and who don’t have the privilege of living in a building with a doorman.
As The Information notes, the companies would offer their in-home delivery services when you’re checking out on Amazon. August’s smart lock would be able to let delivery people right into your front door, while Garageio’s technology, naturally, would let them drop it off in your garage. August is already testing the service around Seattle with an unnamed retailer.
Obviously, there are a slew of issues with in-home deliveries, including the possibility of theft and damage. And of course, very few people have smart locks, so it doesn’t make much sense to built a delivery option around them yet. It sounds like Amazon and these companies are just testing out the feasibility of in-home deliveries, rather than planning a widespread rollout soon.
As crazy as it sounds, it makes sense for Amazon to at least consider the option of in-home deliveries. It’s already offering lockers for dropping off packages, and it’s testing out in-trunk deliveries as well.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: The Information
Sainsbury’s expands one-hour deliveries in London
Sainsbury’s will begin quietly bowing out of the digital entertainment game next month, shutting down its video streaming service and music, e-book and magazine stores. But while the supermarket is admitting defeat in one area, it’s doubling efforts in another. Having trialed one-hour grocery deliveries in Wandsworth over the past few months, as of tomorrow Sainsbury’s is expanding the service to cover a much larger area of London, spanning Wimbledon to the West End.
For a £4.99 fee, customers can order up to 20 items for delivery within one hour through the Chop Chop iOS app, built in-house by the Sainsbury’s digital team. This compliments the same-day delivery option Sainsbury’s already offers in certain parts of London for online orders. Combined, these make the supermarket one of the most convenient destinations for last-minute grocery shops, but it’s not really Ocado Sainsbury’s is competing against. It’s Amazon.
Between Amazon’s same-day Fresh service and Prime Now one-hour deliveries, the online retailer’s flair for logistics is not to be underestimated. But knowing convenience is king, Sainsbury’s is happy to play Amazon at its own game. The supermarket recently completed its acquisition of Argos’ owner, Home Retail Group, and swiftly announced more miniature Argos locations would be set up inside Sainsbury’s stores before the Christmas rush. While these are retail outlets in their own right, they are also strategic click-and-collect points.
Argos also has non-perishable deliveries covered with its unmatched, nationwide same-day service. As far as groceries are concerned, though, tomorrow’s Chop Chop expansion doesn’t fully pull the service out of the trial stages. Sainsbury’s tells us there are no concrete plans as to where it might be available next — those decisions be will made when the supermarket has had a chance to review demand for one-hour deliveries in these new areas.
Via: Wired
Source: Sainsbury’s
Plex Cloud lets you dump your home media server
Thanks to streaming, physical formats like CDs and Blu-rays aren’t as popular than they once were. Some people choose to sign up for a monthly subscription like Netflix or Spotify, while others take the DIY approach. For many years, Plex has helped people build their own media collections and stream that content to (nearly) every connected device they own. However, it required either a computer or Network Attached Storage (NAS) to do so. Today, the company has opened a new avenue in its media streaming strategy with the launch of Plex Cloud. Gone is the need for the server in the cupboard, replaced with an Amazon Drive subscription and a Plex Pass.
Plex Cloud is basically a cloud version of the Plex Media Server, eliminating electricity and maintenance costs in the process. Amazon’s reliable hosting platform takes care of the storage and Plex has “worked a little bit of magic” to enable the same transcoding options that some of the better home network storage solutions provide. An Amazon Drive subscription costs $60 for unlimited storage for a year, while the Plex Pass is either $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. In comparison, you’ll likely pay around the same total cost for a year of Netflix.
While Plex has worked to enable many of the same features as the Plex Media Server, they aren’t all ready for launch. The company says that Camera Upload, Mobile Sync, Cloud Sync, Media Optimizer, DLNA, and DVR are not available right away, but it will work to add them over time. Also, if you want to use your own cloud storage provider, you may have to wait. Amazon says it’ll “continue to evaluate adding support for other cloud storage providers over time.”
Plex has opened the Plex Cloud Beta and is already inviting people to sign up. Be aware that Plex Pass holders will be given priority over casual streamers, so if you don’t get in straight away, that might be why.
Via: Plex Blog
Source: Plex Cloud
Amazon’s Kindle for Kids bundle offers children’s books for $99
To offer kids a way to read via Kindle, Amazon is back with another $99 bundle. The Kindle for Kids offer combines the latest e-reader with a cover and a “2-year worry-free guarantee.” It’s meant to boost reading habits for children complete with tools for tracking reading goals, building vocabulary and access to 250,000 kids titles. Users can also borrow digital versions of books from their local library. Unlike the regular Kindle, this model doesn’t come equipped with a backlight so it can’t be used in the dark. When the lights are turned off for bed, reading time is over.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has offered a Kindle for Kids option, but that doesn’t make it any less attractive. Parents looking to buy their kids a digital reading device might jump at the $99 price tag for the device and its features. Of course, this is a dedicated e-reader that doesn’t offer a library of apps and games. Couple that with a long-lasting battery and parental controls and Amazon has a rather compelling package for families with young readers.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Amazon
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